Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Forth Award for Muirhouse project

Congratulations to the LIFT (Low Income Families Together) team based at Muirhouse Millennium Centre who picked up an award at the annual Forth Awards in the Usher Hall yesterday. LIFT’s Paula Bowie won the Cash for Kids category.

LIFT’s Paula Bowie said: “Absolutely over the moon after yesterday. Winning a Forth award has given me the acknowledgement I needed to say: job done.

“LIFT is what was needed, all mine, my amazing staff, sessional workers Kirsty Day Maryann Paice Fallon hard work has paid off. We couldn’t do it without our volunteers Sonia McCraw Jadee C Wilsonn Lynette Hughes Nicola Spence Ashley Bambrick Jade Buchan.”

The great and the good from across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife were celebrated yesterday at the annual Forth Awards, alongside music industry legends and Fringe favourites. 

Ten awards were handed out – six for community winners and four for entertainment – as nominated and voted for by Radio Forth listeners. 

The Community Awards were set up to recognise those unsung heroes who never normally get credit for the great things they do, and this year six incredibly worthy winners took home awards. 

Sean Carr collected the Community Venture Award sponsored by Gyle Shopping Centre for Urban Nature Retreat who have created a unique, safe environment for disadvantaged children with disabilities to enjoy the therapeutic benefits that animals and nature can provide. 

Irene Squires-Guild was crowned Local Hero, collecting the award sponsored by The Edinburgh Evening News after dedicating her life to helping others, following the death of her son. A volunteer with the Red Cross, Irene assisted with relief for the Grenfell tragedy and regularly fundraises for those in need, offers support to refugee families, amongst many other selfless endeavors.

The Best Restaurant award with Caledonian Heating and Plumbing was presented to Italian La Rusticana, while Sarah Keenan from Carnegie Primary in Dunfermline was named top of the class, winning the Best Teacher Award, sponsored by Fuse. 

Charity Volunteer of the Year sponsored by Heritage Portfolio went to Neil Rankin from Street Assist, founded to help the citizens and emergency services within the City of Edinburgh. Finally, the Cash for Kids Award with Westwoods Health Club was collected by Paula Bowie, founder of L.I.F.T – Low Income Families Together – a new project which works with these families to reduce barriers restricting families from moving forward in life. 

The final four awards celebrated entertainment with special appearances and performances from award winners. Janey Godley collected The Forth Fringe Award sponsored by OMNI Edinburgh, awarded after her Festival run and for her hilarious take on the news with her now infamous ‘dub’ videos. 

The Forth Scottish Best Artist Award with Victor Paris was claimed by Sophie Ellis Bextor who performed her hits ‘Groove Jet’, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and ‘Take me Home’. 

Marc Almond of Soft Cell was awarded The Forth Icon Award, sponsored by The Edinburgh Playhouse. Marc delighted the attendees with a fittingly iconic performance of both solo and Soft Cell singles.  Commenting on his win, Marc said: “It’s a real honour to be awarded the Forth Icon Award. I love performing in Scotland and can’t wait to return next month for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay”.

Finally, The Forth Contribution to Music Award with The Liquid Rooms was awarded to Scottish rockers Wet,Wet, Wet who have sold over 15 million singles and albums to date, and featured in the official UK charts for over a massive 500 weeks, with their albums certified platinum 20 times in the UK. The band, newly invigorated by the introduction of lead singer Kevin Simm thrilled attendees with their impressive back-catalogue.

The Forth Awards were hosted by Radio Forth favourites Boogie and Arlene and attendees were also treated to theatrical performances from The Lion King ahead of the show’s return to The Playhouse in December and The Steamie, ahead of their December run at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro.

Further musical entertainment came from Edinburgh girl Nina Nesbit and the now iconic dance music section of the awards saw Shena take to the mic with the classic ‘There’s nothing I won’t do’. 

Richie Jeffrey, events and marketing manager at Radio Forth said: “The Forth Awards are a fantastic mix of celebration that spans local heroes plus the best music and entertainment.

“Everyone at Radio Forth is hugely proud to put on an event which is able to recognise the acts of selflessness of our local community winners whilst being able to provide top class entertainment from our industry winners and many more. Congratulations again to all of our incredibly deserving winners and nominees.”

Martin Perry, director of development at sponsor Edinburgh St James, said: “Every year the Forth Awards just seem to get better and better, which means our continued sponsorship of this great event is no real surprise.  

“Our involvement with the Forth Awards throughout the lifecycle of this project feels especially poignant now we are less than a year away from opening our first phase, delivering a once-in-a-generation development that equals Edinburgh’s global reputation.

 “But we knew from the start that, for Edinburgh St James to truly succeed, we needed to develop real partnerships across the city, and our relationship with Radio Forth continues to be one that we are very proud to have.”

Keep up with all the latest competitions, gossip, music and news on Forth 1 online, FM, DAB radio, via our app, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat:  

  • www.forth1.com
  • /forth1 (facebook)
  • @Forthone (Twitter) 
  • @Forth1official (Instagram)

Forth1official (Snapchat)

FORTH AWARDS PICS: Greg Macvean

North Edinburgh Arts calendars on sale now

North Edinburgh Arts raised an impressive £4,500 at their fundraising and celebration event at the Hub on Castlehill on 4th November.
With the sale of further art work and the North Edinburgh Arts calendar (below), the local organisation hopes to have a final figure of over £5,000.  This will be invested in an Artist studio within North Edinburgh Arts.
Details of the expenditure will be available in the New Year.
NEA calendars are available to purchase at reception – get yours NOW!

Votes for foreign residents and prisoners?

Foreign nationals resident in Scotland should be able to have a say in how the country is run. This the view of the majority of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee following its consideration of the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill. Continue reading Votes for foreign residents and prisoners?

Childline counsels rising number of children about sexual exploitation

 

  • Childline Annual Review 2018/19 released
  • 12 counselling sessions a day with children who’ve been groomed & forced into sexual activity
  • More than 200 contacts from children in Scotland about this issue in 2018/19
  • Charity calls for teacher training on improved personal and social education
  • Other major concerns include: mental health issues, family relationships & suicidal thoughts

Childline’s annual report has revealed the service carried out on average 12 counselling sessions every day in 2018/19 with children who have been sexually exploited. 

The NSPCC’s round-the-clock service delivered 4,500 counselling sessions – up 16 per cent from the previous year – to children and young people, the youngest aged nine, who were coerced or forced into sexual activity. More than 200 of these contacts were from children living in Scotland, which was a 28% increase from the previous year.

In more than a third of counselling sessions young people disclosed they were targeted online – usually through social media or video games – often by their peers or people known to them.

Most commonly children received help from Childline because they were forced to perform or watch sexual acts or had been persuaded into sending naked images or videos of themselves – some were threatened with the images being told they would be shared with friends and family.

In the total number of counselling sessions about sexual abuse (8,841) exploitation featured in more than half.

Young people told Childline their experience with sexual exploitation also included receiving affection or gifts in exchange for sexual activities.

To help address the problem the NSPCC is calling on the Scottish Government to provide proper training to teachers so they can deliver effective and relevant lessons about healthy relationships, consent and sex; and support young people to get help from a trusted adult.

One 15-year-old girl told a counsellor she was feeling suicidal after being sexually exploited by a gang of boys:

“I never thought I would ever be the sort of person who could be sexually exploited.  One day I met up with some boys and they made me feel worth something. It started off small, complimenting me, stroking my hair. One day one of them started kissing me so I pushed him away and said no, but he wouldn’t stop.

“I ended up having sex with him because I was scared about what would happen if I said no. This pattern continued between the gang. I didn’t see a problem with it until school found out and told me what was happening was a crime.”

The Childline Annual Review also shows the biggest jump – up a quarter – in the amount of 16-18 year olds receiving counselling for sexual exploitation.

An 18-year-old girl revealed to Childline:

“When I was younger I kept going online to talk to people mainly because I felt so alone.  Some older guys started chatting to me and I sent nude pictures and videos of myself to them. I got compliments and didn’t know how to say no.

“Most of them knew I was just 13 and some of them threatened to post the pictures online if I didn’t send more. I feel sick just thinking about it and feel so insecure about this all coming back to haunt me.”

Matt Forde, National Head of Service for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Sadly, we are hearing from young people every day who are being manipulated or blackmailed into carrying out sexual acts. For many this impacts on their mental health and leaves them feeling isolated from the people closest to them. Some turn to self-harm, alcohol or substance misuse as ways of coping with their experiences.

“Everyone must be prepared to confront this problem, from government right through to schools, parents, professionals, and us at Childline. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government made 16 recommendations after reviewing personal and social education in its schools.

“It needs to now ensure that when these recommendations are implemented, teachers are confident to deliver the improved messages. Childline needs to recruit more volunteers to make sure they can be there for every child who needs our help, at all times of day and night.”

Leith’s Good With Food!

Residents are being encouraged to adopt smart kitchen and shopping habits as part of a new campaign to tackle the climate crisis by reducing food waste in Leith.

Leith’s Good With Food, a new campaign from Zero Waste Leith, encourages the local community to shop smart, cook just the right amount and use up or share any leftovers.

The campaign is delivered by leading environmental charity Changeworks as part of the Zero Waste Leith project, with funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

Food waste is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gases – and throwing away food waste means you’re throwing away money too. Right now, 60% of the food we waste in Scotland could be avoided, and that’s something the campaign is looking to change. If food can’t be reused, it can be turned into energy through Edinburgh’s kerbside food recycling service.

The campaign kicked off with a launch event at the Leith Walk Police Box yesterday.

Hannah Milne, Zero Waste Leith Co-ordinator at Changeworks said: “Leithers are already leading the way towards zero waste in Scotland and now they are adopting food waste savvy habits in their kitchens, shops and streets with our new campaign, Leith’s Good With Food.

“Our team of volunteers gave out our new Good with Food kits which contain tools, tips and recipes to help Leithers avoid food waste and a kitchen caddy for collecting food waste recycling.”

The campaign is modelled on the successful anti-flytipping campaign, Flyspotting, which featured portraits and messaging from local Leithers and halved flytipping in ten test streets surrounding Dalmeny Street Park.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council said:  “Food waste is a big greenhouse gas emitter, but it’s something households can tackle easily and help make a real, positive contribution.

“All food waste collected in Edinburgh goes to our state-of-the-art facility at Millerhill to be converted into energy – just one food caddy can generate enough electricity to power a TV for five hours!

“I welcome this new campaign from Changeworks and look forward to even more people getting into the food waste reduction and recycling habit.”

General Election 2019: Your candidates confirmed

UK General Election – 12 December 2019

Candidates in Edinburgh have been confirmed as:

Edinburgh East

GILMORE, Sheila – Scottish Labour Party
MILLER, Claire Helen Innes – Scottish Green Party
PRICE, Eleanor Margaret Louise – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
REILLY, Jill Mary – Scottish Liberal Democrats
SHEPPARD, Tommy – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Edinburgh North and Leith

ASTBURY, Heather Jane – Renew
BROCK, Deidre Leanne – Scottish National Party (SNP)
BURGESS, Steve – Scottish Green Party
MCGILL, Iain – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MUNRO, Gordon John – Labour and Co-operative Party
SPEIRS, Robert – Brexit Party
WILSON, Bruce Roy – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh South

BEAL, Alan Christopher – Scottish Liberal Democrats
COOK, Nick – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MACDONALD, Catriona Mary Elizabeth – Scottish National Party
MURRAY, Ian – Scottish Labour Party
NEVENS, Kate – Scottish Green Party

Edinburgh South West

BALLANTINE, David Craig – Brexit Party
BROWN, Mev – Social Democratic Party Scotland
CHERRY, Joanna Catherine – Scottish National Party (SNP)
COOKE, Sophie – Scottish Labour Party
INGLIS, Tom – Scottish Liberal Democrats
LAIDLAW, Callum Arron – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
PARKER, Ben – Scottish Green Party

Edinburgh West

BOLTON, Craig William – Scottish Labour Party
GUNN, Elaine – Scottish Green Party
HUTCHISON, Graham James – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
JARDINE, Christine Anne – Scottish Liberal Democrats
MASSON, Sarah Louise – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh in the UK Parliamentary Elections, said: “The forthcoming election has dominated the news for all sorts of reasons and I’m certain it’s a big talking point for residents in Edinburgh and beyond.

“It’s essential that anyone that wants to take part in the vote makes sure they are registered – it’s easy to do.

“Visit gov.uk/register-to-vote to check if you’re registered by 26 November – it only takes a few minutes. Those who have already registered will soon begin receiving poll cards – read your poll card carefully to make sure you get to the right place to cast your vote on polling day.”

To vote in the UK Parliamentary Elections on 12 December, voters must be aged 18 or over and either a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen.

Voter registration closes at midnight on Tuesday 26 November. Anyone already registered for the European Election on 23 May does not need to re-register.

However, anyone who has changed address since then needs to re-register to be able to vote in the UK Parliamentary Elections on 12 December. Visit the voter registration website to register.

Applications for postal votes must be submitted by 5pm on Tuesday 26 November.

Applications to vote by proxy must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 4 December.

Postal ballot packs will soon be sent out to residents who have registered. Postal voters are encouraged to return their completed ballots as soon as possible.

Voters should mark an X beside one candidate.

Find out more about where, when and how to vote.

Scotch Whisky Action Fund commits support to two new projects in Edinburgh

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) has announced the list of six projects that it will be supporting over the coming year as part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to tackling alcohol misuse with two capital projects – Edinburgh Young Carers and U-evolv, which is based at FetLor Youth Club – set to benefit. Continue reading Scotch Whisky Action Fund commits support to two new projects in Edinburgh